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Convert Your Dynamics CRM Appointments to Meeting Requests in Outlook

Post Author: Joe D365 | February 7th, 2012

This is a follow-up up to an earlier post on Sending Meeting Requests with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, which explains how Microsoft Dynamics CRM does NOT send meeting requests out of the box, and best practices is to send meeting requests from Outlook and track them in CRM. Another option for sending meeting requests is the ability to "convert" Dynamics CRM Appointments to meeting requests in Outlook. To do this, use the following steps.

  1. Create an Appointment in MSCRM, as usual. Click Save and Close.

    Dynamics CRM Appointments & Meeting Requests

  2. Wait for the Appointment to synchronize to Outlook, or go to Outlook and force a synchronization on the CRM tab of the ribbon by clicking Synchronize with CRM.

    Dynamics CRM Appointments - calendar

  3. Find the meeting on the calendar and click Invite Attendees on the ribbon.

    Dynamics CRM Appointments

  4. The attendees populate in the To field, so now you can click Send and a meeting request will be sent to them.

    Dynamics CRM Appointments

Because of this capability, appointments could be scheduled in CRM with workflow and later opened and send to a contact. Contacts can also be added to the Appointment at this time.

A couple words of CAUTION when using appointments that are tracked in CRM.

  1. The meeting invites sent from Outlook do not honor CRM's "Do Not Allow Email" on the Contact. Outlook will send the meeting request via Email all all attendees.
  2. After the appointment, don't put your notes into the Outlook appointment saying, "This guy's a schmuck…" thinking that you putting those notes into CRM for your boss. An updated meeting request will be sent to the schmuck, and he probably won't appreciate it. However, you can click View in CRM and modify the appointment there and an update will not be sent.

    Dynamics CRM Appointments

    (It's still a little risky though because those notes will sync back down to Outlook and if the appointment gets moved for whatever reason on the calendar, you could accidentally send the notes out to the contacts on the meeting. Probably best to keep it professional)

Hope you found this helpful. Happy CRM'ing!

Joe CRM
By Joe D365
Joe D365 is a Microsoft Dynamics 365 superhero who runs on pure Dynamics adrenaline. As the face of PowerObjects, Joe D365’s mission is to reveal innovative ways to use Dynamics 365 and bring the application to more businesses and organizations around the world.

8 comments on “Convert Your Dynamics CRM Appointments to Meeting Requests in Outlook”

  1. Hi,
    We have requirement where we don't want to generate mail to the concerned person when an appointment is scheduled for him/her.Is there any way to stop the email generation when we have synchronize our CRM with outlook already. Also we are using CRM2011.
    Thanks in advance.

    1. We have the same requirement - the client NEVER wants external invitees to receive a meeting notification if the meeting was created in CRM, but they DO want the ability to synchronize the calendars for internal users.
      Any ideas?

    1. Hi Andrew - the send meeting request is a custom button and code that we created. It only works on crm 2011 on premises and partner hosted as we generate teh meeting request via code.

      1. Hi Joe- We have recently changed the status on old CRM appointments. Moved from scheduled to completed. (We have 2011 Outlook add in) It seems some of the old invites got re-sent via Outlook....ouch! Is this the expected behavior? In your vast experience have you seen this happen before? Thanks

  3. Hi,
    Thanks for the article - well documented/nicely articulated and good information to have to hand. If I may, I would like to get your opinion/feedback on some odd behaviour we are encountering with the Appointment/meeting fucntionality/2-1way synchronisation between OutlookCRM.
    We are noticing the following behviour:
    1. Create the appointments in CRM and add relevant required attendees (system users)
    2. Outlook synchorinises with CRM for users of the system and places the appointment in their diary (outlook calendar). All good so far.
    3. Obviously, and as stated above in your article, no notification email is sent. Again - this is less than ideal, but we can live with it.
    4. The appointment organiser opens up the appointment/meeting in Outlook and distributes it (as per the article above).
    5. A duplicate meeting/appointment is placed in all attendees Dairies (Outlook Calendars) once this notification is sent. This doesn't sync back to CRM as a dupelicate appointment (thankfully!!), but is still confounding users.
    6. If the Meeting Organiser (= appointment owner in CRM) cancels the meeting using normal outlook functionality (e.g. cancel meeting button), the meeting is not deleted or cancelled in CRM. An explicit delete or close action is still required in CRM in order to handle this. Again - this feels like a lot of work for a simple task, and again, is causing usablitiy & adoption issues with our user base.
    To be honest, I would regard the what I described above as less than ideal behaviour and it's certainly confusing a lot of our users. Do you know if there are any handy tips in order to try and mitigate any of this.
    Many thanks in advance

  4. Hi-What happens when the appoinment status is changed in CRM to completed.
    Will Outlook send the notes out to the contacts on the meeting?

  5. Hi,
    I am looking for a solution where customers could use an online booking portal to book appointments at the available timslots in our CRM 2013 or Outlook Calendar. Does any have experience with, or know of a good solution for this?
    Thanks in Advance

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